Vance appears at CBS town hall to face voter questions; reveals he has not decided whether to run in 2028

On the 17th, Vice President JD Vance appeared at a town hall hosted by CBS News, where he fielded questions directly from voters in Michigan. During the hour-long program, Vance defended the Trump administration’s economic policies and its strategy regarding Iran, while also revealing that he has not yet decided whether to run for president in 2028.

Michigan was a pivotal swing state that helped secure victory for President Trump and Vance in 2024; it also serves as a fiercely contested battleground in the November midterm elections, which will determine control of the Senate.

The CBS program, titled “Things That Matter: A Town Hall With Vice President JD Vance,” was moderated by CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil.

Vance is viewed as a potential successor to the Trump political movement—a prospect even Trump himself has acknowledged, describing Vance as the “most likely” Republican heir.

It is widely believed that should Vance decide to enter the 2028 presidential race, he would immediately emerge as a top contender in the Republican primary.

When asked by Dokoupil if it were possible that he might choose not to run, Vance replied, “Sure, it’s possible. The way I approach major life decisions—and my wife would tell you this, too—is that I’m a bit of a procrastinator; I just hate thinking about it.”

Vance noted that he and his wife, Usha Vance, have four young children, adding that while his wife is “not particularly interested in politics, she is passionate about public service.”

Addressing the issue of the cost of living—a primary concern for voters in this election cycle—Sandy Johnson, who operates a family entertainment center, asked when real, tangible changes might be expected, noting that her business is currently “barely breaking even.” Vance replied, “While I’d love to criticize (former President) Joe Biden, what has truly dragged America down is a bipartisan, multi-generational failure—a failure to invest in American workers and American manufacturing, while shipping all our good jobs overseas.”

Vance pointed to commitments for foreign investment, as well as expansion plans by Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (the parent company of Chrysler). “Just as this country wasn’t broken in the span of a single presidential term, it’s going to take more than 18 months to fix it,” he said, emphasizing that the Trump administration is “turning the ship around.”

Since Trump took office, the unemployment rate has remained low; however, inflation continues to exceed the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and the number of manufacturing jobs has remained largely stagnant.

The conflict involving Iran has driven up oil prices, creating another point of contention for the Republican Party in these midterm elections. Keshon Wheatley, a barber in Detroit who voted for Trump in both 2020 and 2024, says that due to the recent surge in fuel prices, he now intends to switch his support to Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.

Vance noted that Iran’s attacks on oil tankers are a factor, adding, “Once the conflict ends, we’ll see oil prices come down.” At the same time, he candidly acknowledged, “I know that oil prices are too high right now.”
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